NEW DELHI, 30 May 2003 — Secular pretensions revealed by Bharatiya Janata Party President M. Venkaiah Naidu received a jolt yesterday with Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) dismissing them as “absurd.” While addressing a “Samarasata” (social harmony) rally in the Muslim-dominated town of Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, Naidu asserted that while Hindus wanted a grand temple in Ayodhya, they also favored construction of a mosque alongside it.
Naidu favored construction of the temple and mosque as an alternative to the continuing politico-legal and religious dispute over the site where the Babri Masjid stood before being demolished on Dec. 6, 1992.
Several Hindus and Muslims yesterday rejected the proposal.
Turning down Naidu’s proposal, VHP leader Giriraj Kishore said, “It is absurd. Having a temple and a mosque standing alongside will only breed more enmity instead of bringing about a lasting understanding between Hindus and Muslims.”
Syed Shahabuddin, head of All-India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawara, described Naidu’s proposal as a ploy designed to con Muslims into surrendering the mosque site and make way for a temple there.
Shahabuddin accused Hindu radicals of trying their hand at this ploy since 1986. “The court case on the title suit is proceeding very fast now, on a day-to-day basis, and a verdict may be in within a year. If we waited a decade, why can’t Naidu wait another year? We are prepared to abide by whatever the court rules,” Shahabuddin said.
Shahabuddin also drew attention to the Supreme Court ruling that, depending on the verdict of the title suit, the disputed land should be given to the victorious party and the other party should be allowed to build its structure close by.
Going by Shahabuddin’s interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling, there prevails legal justification for construction of a temple and a mosque close to each other. This in itself is a blow for VHP’s claim that no mosque can be constructed in Ayodhya.
While rejecting Naidu’s proposal, VHP leader Kishore said there was no possibility of building a mosque anywhere in the sprawling complex of 67 acres, including the 2.77 acres on which the demolished Babri mosque stood.
“Their (Muslims’) prayers will clash with ours and that will only be the tip of the iceberg. If they want to build a mosque, they can do it outside Ayodhya. No force in the world can get a temple and a mosque built side-by-side in Ayodhya,” Kishore said.
Describing the proposal as an escape-route from a court verdict that could go in favor of Muslims, Qasim Rasool Ilyas of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board said, “If we had to accept this kind of a solution, we could have accepted it long back. Our basic issue is the ownership of the Babri mosque site.”
Arguing in favor of Muslims’ claim to the disputed site, Ilyas said: “There is overwhelming evidence that the disputed site belonged to the Muslims. If that is the case, we are not authorized to turn over our holy land to anybody. It is not our personal property.” Besides, he questioned, “If they want to resolve the dispute now, after demolishing the Babri mosque, then why don’t they let us rebuild the mosque at the same spot and build a temple next to it?”
Several political analysts have suggested Naidu floated the proposal in an attempt to woo Muslim voters, ahead of crucial assembly elections.
While addressing the largely Muslim audience in Rampur on Wednesday, Naidu listed the achievements of BJP which favor Muslims. The rally was organized by BJP general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
Naidu said BJP was their (the Muslims’) party. “We are one nation, we are one people, join the BJP, it is your party.”
On there being only one Muslim in the BJP-led Cabinet, Naidu said, “If you send more members of your community to the Lok Sabha on the BJP ticket, the ministers will also increase in proportion.”
While asserting that Hindutva was the soul of India, Naidu said, the term “Hindu” described a cultural heritage and not a religious identity.
